Ahmed noorani exposed PP on Zafar qureshi
Ahmad Noorani
The reported threats and the four options given by Interior Minister Rehman Malik to NICL scam investigator Zafar Qureshi resonated loudly in the Supreme Court on Thursday putting the PPP government in a precarious situation.Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry told the government that the report in The News clearly speaks for itself and that it was true as the government till date is hell bent on not restoring Qureshi to carry out NICL scam investigations. The chief justice repeated that though the federal interior minister issued a clarification of The News story the newspaper had declared that it stood by its story.
Justice Iftikhar read out loudly The News story and narrated the four options which were reportedly offered to Zafar Qureshi that he should either (i) leave the country immediately; (ii) go on a long leave; (iii) tell the Supreme Court in writing that he cannot continue with NICL investigation for personal reasons; and (iv) if all the three were not possible then bail out Ch Moonis Elahi, son of Ch Pervaiz Elahi, the new coalition partner of the PPP government.
“If this story is untrue then why the government is not restoring Zafar Qureshi to probe the NICL scam,” the chief justice questioned Attorney General Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq and added: “Besides this story, the issue of political intervention was reported by six newspapers and all this issue needs a thorough probe and we have to make up our mind to appoint a judge of the high court to probe both these issues.”
The chief justice said that summoning an official appointed by the court for probing a mega corruption scandal and threatening and offering him such ridiculous options is a grave matter and needs thorough investigations. Meanwhile, during the course of the hearing, the chief justice said in categorical words that the government should note this point that Zafar Qureshi will continue the probe of the NICL scam till the completion of all investigations. “Whatever is his status he will continue till completion of all his work on this scam,” the CJ said, adding: “If he is suspended, he is alive and had physical existence, so we can order him to complete these investigations.” The governmentwas earlier planning not to allow Zafar Qureshi to carry out the NICL probe for the remaining period of his service as he retired in September but the latest observations of the CJ have closed all doors of this ill-motivated planning of the government.
While referring to media campaign against superior judiciary for release of Moonis Elahi, the chief justice said that this campaign has humiliated the judiciary and government has taken no action on this shameful act. “Now, there will be rule of law in this country or there will be ‘no rule of law’,” the chief justice said in an angry tone.
“Maulvi Sahib, at least you should have respected rule of law. Rule of law is there at your home. Your father was a respected jurist. After seeing this malicious advertisement on televisions vilifying the superior judiciary at least you should have written a letter to the president and prime minister that such a malicious campaign on media is a direct attack on the independence of judiciary but alas! You didn’t do so,” the chief justice observed while addressing the attorney general.
Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq replied that he will write a letter on this count on Thursday. “You have done this on my orders. You should have done this at your own. You are top most law officer of the country and you are responsible for ensuring the implementation on the orders of the Supreme Court,” said the chief justice.
The chief justice was so angry with the media campaign against the superior judiciary that he went on to saying that such a humiliating campaign was even not run during the hearing of the NRO case. He said that there were more that 5,000 prisoners in the Adiala Jail. “Whether they all should start vilification campaign against the judiciary that they were not being released,” he questioned the AG who stood speechless listening to the CJ.
The chief justice rejected in categorical terms the submission of post-dated cheques submitted by one party which would be en-cashed in next 4 to 5 years. “This is simply ridiculous. You have committed a fraud and now you talk of returning the money through these post-dated cheques. I know no one will pay afterwards,” the chief justice observed.
It is worth mentioning here that while the parties allegedly involved in looting and plundering of the NICL were claiming in public that all the money has been returned in the national exchequer, The News had unearthed the scandal on June 6, 2011, that in fact the looted money had not been returned and basically more than a dozen post-dated cheques had been deposited under very ambiguous conditions and that too payable till 2016.
Acting DG FIA Manzoor Ch told The News that all the four officials have been appointed back and they will work on the cases on which they were working earlier including the NICL scam.
Federal Interior Secretary Khawaja Siddiq Akbar when asked by this scribe in Court Room No 1 that who is the competent authority to suspend or reverse the suspension of a Grade-21 officer like Zafar Qureshi, replied: “Only the prime minister.”
The News despite its hectic efforts could not find out whether the prime minister has issued directives to restore Zafar Qureshi till 11:30 pm on Thursday night. Prime Minister Secretariat sources, however, hinted that the government will continue with its delaying tactics and will not restore Qureshi.
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Shabbir Anwar replied to The News at 10:00 pm in the night that so far no action in this regard had come to his notice. “As the Chief Executive will take some action on the Zafar Qureshi issue the same will be brought to public notice immediately,” Shabbir said.
Justice Iftikhar read out loudly The News story and narrated the four options which were reportedly offered to Zafar Qureshi that he should either (i) leave the country immediately; (ii) go on a long leave; (iii) tell the Supreme Court in writing that he cannot continue with NICL investigation for personal reasons; and (iv) if all the three were not possible then bail out Ch Moonis Elahi, son of Ch Pervaiz Elahi, the new coalition partner of the PPP government.
“If this story is untrue then why the government is not restoring Zafar Qureshi to probe the NICL scam,” the chief justice questioned Attorney General Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq and added: “Besides this story, the issue of political intervention was reported by six newspapers and all this issue needs a thorough probe and we have to make up our mind to appoint a judge of the high court to probe both these issues.”
The chief justice said that summoning an official appointed by the court for probing a mega corruption scandal and threatening and offering him such ridiculous options is a grave matter and needs thorough investigations. Meanwhile, during the course of the hearing, the chief justice said in categorical words that the government should note this point that Zafar Qureshi will continue the probe of the NICL scam till the completion of all investigations. “Whatever is his status he will continue till completion of all his work on this scam,” the CJ said, adding: “If he is suspended, he is alive and had physical existence, so we can order him to complete these investigations.” The governmentwas earlier planning not to allow Zafar Qureshi to carry out the NICL probe for the remaining period of his service as he retired in September but the latest observations of the CJ have closed all doors of this ill-motivated planning of the government.
While referring to media campaign against superior judiciary for release of Moonis Elahi, the chief justice said that this campaign has humiliated the judiciary and government has taken no action on this shameful act. “Now, there will be rule of law in this country or there will be ‘no rule of law’,” the chief justice said in an angry tone.
“Maulvi Sahib, at least you should have respected rule of law. Rule of law is there at your home. Your father was a respected jurist. After seeing this malicious advertisement on televisions vilifying the superior judiciary at least you should have written a letter to the president and prime minister that such a malicious campaign on media is a direct attack on the independence of judiciary but alas! You didn’t do so,” the chief justice observed while addressing the attorney general.
Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq replied that he will write a letter on this count on Thursday. “You have done this on my orders. You should have done this at your own. You are top most law officer of the country and you are responsible for ensuring the implementation on the orders of the Supreme Court,” said the chief justice.
The chief justice was so angry with the media campaign against the superior judiciary that he went on to saying that such a humiliating campaign was even not run during the hearing of the NRO case. He said that there were more that 5,000 prisoners in the Adiala Jail. “Whether they all should start vilification campaign against the judiciary that they were not being released,” he questioned the AG who stood speechless listening to the CJ.
The chief justice rejected in categorical terms the submission of post-dated cheques submitted by one party which would be en-cashed in next 4 to 5 years. “This is simply ridiculous. You have committed a fraud and now you talk of returning the money through these post-dated cheques. I know no one will pay afterwards,” the chief justice observed.
It is worth mentioning here that while the parties allegedly involved in looting and plundering of the NICL were claiming in public that all the money has been returned in the national exchequer, The News had unearthed the scandal on June 6, 2011, that in fact the looted money had not been returned and basically more than a dozen post-dated cheques had been deposited under very ambiguous conditions and that too payable till 2016.
Acting DG FIA Manzoor Ch told The News that all the four officials have been appointed back and they will work on the cases on which they were working earlier including the NICL scam.
Federal Interior Secretary Khawaja Siddiq Akbar when asked by this scribe in Court Room No 1 that who is the competent authority to suspend or reverse the suspension of a Grade-21 officer like Zafar Qureshi, replied: “Only the prime minister.”
The News despite its hectic efforts could not find out whether the prime minister has issued directives to restore Zafar Qureshi till 11:30 pm on Thursday night. Prime Minister Secretariat sources, however, hinted that the government will continue with its delaying tactics and will not restore Qureshi.
Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Shabbir Anwar replied to The News at 10:00 pm in the night that so far no action in this regard had come to his notice. “As the Chief Executive will take some action on the Zafar Qureshi issue the same will be brought to public notice immediately,” Shabbir said.
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